Today’s Reflections
There are a few known and lesser-known Cubs prospects in this entry of Cub Tracks.
Go, Clevelanders!!! The Guardians are one game from advancing to the ALCS. We owe the fans of Cleveland for 2016, when they became the organization with the WS longest drought. Go Everyone Associated with Cleveland!
Iron Mike (RIP):
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Lockout on Everyone’s Mind:
- Matthew Nethercott (Diamond Centric): Here’s Why MLB Owners Will Avoid A Lengthy 2027 Lockout. “Baseball’s looming labor dispute could threaten the 2027 season, but a little-discussed provision involving MLB’s television contracts may give owners a powerful incentive to reach an agreement.”
- Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): MLB Has Reportedly Issued a Lengthy Memo on How Teams Are to Handle the Upcoming Lockout. “The gist, of course, is that all operations of the baseball operations involving the 40-man roster have to cease.”
- Matthew Nethercott (Diamond Centric): MLB Owners Propose Major Changes to Regular Season & Postseason Format. “A 154-game regular season, seven-game Division Series and a new system allowing teams to select playoff opponents are among the proposed changes tied to a salary cap agreement.”
Minors/Pipeline:
- Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): MLB Pipeline Names Its Cubs Prospects of the Year. “Ayers’ breakout year certainly deserves the nod, but so does that of Josiah Hartshorn and his incredible pro debut. My guess was that we would see various platforms go in either direction.”
- Jim Callis (MLB.com): Age is but a number for Cubs’ Cabada, the second-youngest player in the Fall League. “One of the most gifted young hitters in the Cubs system, Juan Cabada was ready for the challenges that awaited him when he made his U.S. debut this year.”
- Cory Sparks (North Side Baseball): Cubs Farmhand Miguel Useche is Surging, Against All Odds. “From independent ball to Double-A, Miguel Useche has already come a long way. Can he complete an improbable journey to the big leagues?”
Free Agents/Arbitration:
- Matthew Trueblood (North Side Baseball): Ranking the Cubs’ Contract Option Decisions, from Easiest to Toughest. “Eight members of the Cubs have options in their contract for 2027. Most of them will be declined, in one way or another, but for the team, the decisions break in each direction—and, mostly, they figure to be pretty easy.”
- Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Cubs may have already ruled themselves out of Randy Arozarena sweepstakes without saying it. “We can rule this one out.”
- Matthew Trueblood (North Side Baseball): How Cubs Should Handle Their 11 Arbitration-Eligible Players This Fall. “The Cubs won’t have to fork over big money for their fistful of arbitration-eligible players this offseason. That’s the good news. The bad news is, they’d really love to have to pay some of them more.”
- Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): The Qualifying Offer Number For Post-2026 Free Agents is Out. “This year’s Qualifying Offer figure matters quite a bit to the Chicago Cubs, on both sides of the ledger. Lots to consider.”
- Matt Sullivan (Sporting News): Cubs get great free agent prediction on fan favorite 131 OPS+ outfielder. “This prediction for the Cubs would be a great offseason result.”
- Conor Liguouri (Sporting News): Why Cubs are perfect landing spot for Padres $17 million ace . “This makes too much sense for the Cubs.”
- Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Cubs could take first step toward Ian Happ reunion with looming qualifying offer decision. “An ideal outcome.”
Assorted Stories:
- Carson Wolf (Just Baseball): Where the Cubs Stand After an Abrupt End to the 2026 Season. “The Cubs’ 2026 season ended abruptly after entering the postseason with World Series aspirations. Now, several questions need answers this offseason.”
- Doug Schwamb (Chicago Cubs): The Chicago Cubs Need to Focus A Lot More on Their Farm System. “A common theme emerged when MLB.com released its farm system rankings in August: The top-3 farm systems are playoff contenders.”
- North Side Baseball: Forum Friday: Cubs Pre-Offseason Mega Thread, Non-Cub Playoff Chit-Chat. “The week’s best Cubs conversations, from the human-moderated North Side Baseball forums.”
- Elias Shuster (Chicago Cubs On SI): 2 Cubs Players Who Will Likely See a Huge Uptick in Playing Time in 2027. “The Chicago Cubs could see a couple of lineup regulars depart this offseason, opening room for two younger players.”
- Rich Eberwein (Cubbies Crib): Cubs have a Dansby Swanson problem that’s only going to get worse. “With Dansby Swanson’s bat hitting career lows in 2026, the Chicago Cubs must address a growing concern in their lineup.”
- Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Nico Hoerner on What the Cubs Can Take Away from a Two-Game Wild Card Sweep. “Among the topics about which I most wanted to hear is the dichotomy between the playoffs being THE PLAYOFFS, and also being just two games. How much can a player take away from something like that?
Food For Thought:
The Paul Butterfield Blues Band was an American blues and blues-rock band from Chicago. Formed in the summer of 1963, the group originally featured eponymous vocalist and harmonicist Paul Butterfield, guitarist Elvin Bishop, bassist Jerome Arnold, and drummer Sam Lay.[1] The band added guitarist Mike Bloomfield and keyboardist Mark Naftalin before recording their self-titled debut album, which was released in October 1965. The founding sextet were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015, along with Billy Davenport, their drummer on their second album, East-West.
In the early 1960s, Butterfield met aspiring blues guitarist Elvin Bishop. Bishop recalled:
He [Butterfield] was playing more guitar than harp when I first met him. But in about six months he became serious about the harp, and he seemed to get about as good as he got in that six months. He was just a natural genius. This was in 1960 or 1961. By this time Butter had been hanging out in the ghetto for a couple of years, and he was part of the scene and getting accepted.
Eventually, Butterfield, on vocals and harmonica, and Bishop, accompanying him on guitar, were offered a regular gig at Big John’s, a folk club in the Old Town district on Chicago’s near North Side. With this booking, they persuaded bassist Jerome Arnold and drummer Sam Lay (both from Howlin’ Wolf’s touring band) to form a group with them in 1963. Their engagement at the club was highly successful and brought the group to the attention of record producer Paul A. Rothchild.
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